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Friday, 4 April 2014

D for Dryburgh Abbey, Duns Scotus & the Douglas Tragedy

Welcome to a Look Around

"My Scottish Borders"

D is for

DRYBURGH ABBEY, DUNS SCOTUS and THE DOUGLAS TRAGEDY

DRYBURGH ABBEY on the wooded banks of the River Tweed was founded in 1150 and is now
the final resting place of writer Sir Walter Scott and First World War
Commander, Field Marshall Earl Haig, who lived nearby at Bemersyde.

HOW WE GOT THE NAME "DUNCE"John Duns Scotus
c.1265.–1308), a Franciscan priest was one of the most important and
influential philosopher-theologians of the Middle Ages. He was born in
Duns, Berwickshire, educated in Melrose, Dumfries and Oxford and served
the church in Paris and Cologne where he died. But his teaching split the church between Franciscan and Dominican schools of thought. Duns Scotus was beatified by Pope John Paul ll in 1993.

Duns
Scotus fell out of favour in the 16th century, by which time his
followers were derided for their dullness and obstinacy - and so the
term "Dunce" came into the language.

THE DOUGLAS TRAGEDY is a ballad featured in Sir Walter Scott's "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders". it tells aromantic
but sad story story, set at Blackhouse Tower on the Douglas Burn in the
Yarrow Valley - a stronghold of the Douglas family, with seven sons and
daughter Lady Margaret.

A local nobleman, Lord
William, and Lady Margaret, fell in love. The couple eloped, but they were intercepted by father
Douglas and his sons, who one by one were felled.

Sir
Wailliam survived but was badly injured and died in his lover's arms.
Lady Margaret, unable to bear the loss of her fmaily and lover died of
greif and was bureid alongside William in St. Mary's Church. It is
said that out of each grave grew a brier which entwined into one. Like to many a ballad, it is long (20 verses) but here are some to read and enjoy the beauty of the language.

"Rise, rise up, now Lord Douglas" she says

"And put on your armour so bright.

Let it never be said that a daughter of thine

War married to a lord under night".

Lord William, lookit over his left shoulder

To see what he could see,

And there he spy'd her seven brethren bold

Come riding over the lee.

She held his steed in her milk white hand

And never shed a tear.

Until that she saw her seven brethren fa'

And her father hard fuighting who loved her so dear

Challenge

He lifted her on a milk white steed

And himself on a dapple grey

With a bugelet horn hung down by his side

And slowly they baith rode away.

O they rode on, and on they rode

And a' by the light of the moon

Until they came to you wan water

And there they lighted down

Sir William was dead lang ere midnight

Lady Margaret lang ere day

And all true lovers that go thegither,

May they have mair luck than they!

Lord William was buried in St. Mary’s kirk,

Lady Margret in Mary’s quire;

Out o the lady’s grave grew a bonny red rose,

And out o the knight’s a brier.

*******************

Follow the next stage of this A-Z Journey

through the Scottish Borders

E is for

Earlston, Elliots, Enigma and Eyemouth Tart

The Scottish Borders The old counties of Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire & Selkirkshire

About Me

I have been interested in family history for years. It all began when I was allowed as a child to look through the old family photographs and memorabilia kept in a shoebox in the cupboard at my grandfather's house. That treat started me on a fascinating ancestral trail.